Working-Class Academics Section

In 2015, the Association of Working Class Academics (AWCA) merged with the WCSA to form the Working-Class Academics Section (WCA). The WCA advocates for students and faculty of poverty- and working-class origins, strives to implement reforms designed to assure greater class equity within colleges and universities, establishes relationships and connections between poverty- and working-class academics, and serves as an informational resource for those interested in issues affecting poverty- and working-class people.

The newly formed Working-Class Academics Section maintains its own administrative structure and will report our activities via the WCSA semi-annual newsletter. The AWCA caucus will also maintain regular panels at the WCSA conference and a portion of the collected dues would be earmarked for AWCA activities and needs. Finally, we will participate in the WCSA committee structure, including taking on leadership roles in the overall Steering Committee. New members who join the WCSA would have the option of checking a box to indicate they wanted to join the AWCA caucus as well. The WCSA will oversee annual elections for the AWCA administrative posts.

Goals

Advocacy:

To establish a collective voice in solidarity for WCAs seeking to raise important class-related issues throughout higher education, including the improvement of working conditions for WCAs and admissions for students of poverty- or working-class backgrounds, as well as encouraging institutions of higher education to hire more poverty/working class academics.

To act as a clearinghouse for advice and support, assisting WCAs in navigating the formal and informal academic processes, including suggestions on tenure, dissertations, financial issues, dealing with administrators and mentoring students.

Outreach:

To network and connect with WC/PCAs.

To work to establish on-campus faculty WCA mentors for graduate and undergraduate students on campuses.

Scholarship:

To inform WCAs about publication possibilities and upcoming conferences both for and by WCAs.

To encourage WCAs to engage in research and to interrogate the standpoint of current research focusing on social class issues.

To introduce more courses on social class and the effects of social class origins into our respective fields.